South Africa: Government Must Provide Printing Services for Department of Basic Education (DBE), Not Private Companies, Committee on Education Chair

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, has called on the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to seriously review the work it outsources to private providers and ballooned costs.

The committee was briefed by the DBE and the North West Education Department on printing examination papers and school-based assessment tasks. The North West Education Department briefed the committee on the R500 million five-year contract awarded to a private company for printing matric exam question papers.

Mr Feni said outsourcing government work to private companies has a potential to send a negative message that government lacked confidence on the ability of its employees to do the work. “There is nothing wrong with outsourcing those kinds of work that government lacks the technical ability nor skills, but outsourcing to private companies should be necessary and there ought to be plans for transfer of skills,” said Mr Feni.

He continued: “We must always take into cognisance the serious infrastructure backlog that provinces like the NW are confronted with. How does one balance the two; the infrastructure backlogs and the expenditure on this private company for printing?”

Mr Feni said he was not sure if the Department even had the kind of money which was likely to increase as it approached the end of the contract.

“We will not tire in making the call to enhancement internal capacity within departments. If we continue along this line, are we doing away with the functions of the state,’’ asked Mr Feni. He called for enhancement of the existing capacity and to outsource work that that really need specialties.

Printing related costs in the North West province has been in the news for the contract which seemed to have ballooned. Mr Feni sought clarity on whether back up systems were in place in case the private company was unable to deliver. “The country could not be run through private hands; we want government to deliver the kinds of services it has the capacity to deliver. Private hands will not match what government delivers to its citizens as their preoccupation is profit maximization.”

Mr Feni called on the North West Education Department to do more in ensuring that government delivered efficient services to the people.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.